In-band network telemetry (INT) is a framework configured to permit the collection and reporting of a network state, by the data plane, without requiring any intervention on the part of the control plane. In the INT architectural model, data packets contain INT header fields, a part of which is interpreted as telemetry instructions by network devices. The instructions contained in the header fields instruct INT-capable devices what INT metadata needs to be collected and written into the INT packet as the packet traverses the network. The INT system architecture includes both INT traffic sources and INT traffic sinks. A traffic source is a network element that is configured to embed the instructions in normal data packets. Likewise, traffic sinks are network elements that are configured to retrieve the collected results of these instructions in the form of device-specific information, thereby allowing the traffic sinks or a central controller to monitor the exact data plane state that the data packets observed while being forwarded within the network. At present, conducting INT-based testing of traffic sinks and associated network controllers is difficult due to the numerous network elements that are needed to produce realistic and accurate results.
Accordingly, there exists a need for methods, systems, and computer readable media for testing network elements of an INT-capable network.